Draft-rigging for railway-cars.



C. E. EKLlND.

DRAFT RlRmNc- FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICAUQN FILED JUNE 22, 1914.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

c. E. EKLiND.

DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22, $914.*

m www, wn www We mms Auw WM5 .MM i P provide a CARL ERIC EKIIND, OF CHICAGO, IIiLINOIS, ASS'IGNOR OF ONE'AHALF TO EDWARD POSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-RIGGING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915..

Application led .Tune 22, 1914. Serial No. 846,513.

ful Improvements in Draft-Rigging forv Railway-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, Vsuch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same;

My invention has for its object to provide an improved draft rigging for railway cars, and to such ends, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices lhereinafter described and defined in the claims. Particularly, my invention has for its object to, provide a simple, strong, durable, and eiiicient connection between a draw bar and yoke, which dispenses with the use of /rivets or bolts, and which makes it an easy and a simple matter, either to connect together, or to disconnect the draw .bar and yoke. Brieiy, I accomplish the above desired result. by so constructing the draw .'bar and yoke that they can be interlocked by lateral movement of the one in respect tothe other, and in connection therewith, coupling sleeve, preferably formed as a part of the front follower, 'and which, when slid over the interlocking portions of the draw bar and yoke, securely holds the same against lateral displacement, and hence, operatively coupled together.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, showing my invention incorporated in a draft rigging; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line m2 m2 on Fig. 1, but with some parts shown in full; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showingv the yoke and the combined front follower and coupling sleeve, with the bridge piece removed in order that certain other parts may be more clearly shown; Fig. l is a perspective view of the draw bar, the coupler end thereof being broken away; Fig. 5 -is a perspective view showing the interlocking portions of the draw bar and yoke, por-y tions of both being broken away; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the draw bar, yoke and coupling sleeve, portions of the draw bar being broken away; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line m7 on Figs. 1 and 2.

The numeral 1 indicates the floor structure, the numeral 2 one of the end sills, the numeral 3 the draft sills, 3a the center sills, and the numeral 4.a buffer bracket or casting which is secured to the end sill 2 and is provided with an opening throu h which the coupler draw bar works in e usual way.

It may be here stated that in the drawings I have illustrated a draft rigging having springs arranged in tandem, although the rigging so far as the arrangement of the springs 1s concerned, may take various forms. Describing, however, the construction shown for illustrative purposes, it may be stated that the outer, inner and intermediate draft lugs 5, 6 and 7, are afforded by metallic plates properly bent tov form the said lugs and rigidly secured to the draft sills by rivets.

The coupler draw bar 8 is provided at its outer end with a coupler head 9 and at its inner end is vertically increased in dimensions at 10 to afford a shoulder head with wl1icl1 the draw bar yoke is adapted to be interlocked. The said shoulder head or inner end of the draw bar is shown as provided with vertical bolt holes, but this is immaterial, so far as the present invention is concerned. yIn fact, the complete draw bar and coupler illustrated are of the standard Master Car Builders type. The vertical bolt holes are simply superfluous.

The draw bar yoke 12 may, of course,

take various forms and may be either a cast or forged structure. As shown, it is provided with an intermediate follower engaging bar 13 formed integral therewith, and at its front ends, itl is increased in strength and thickness and formed with inner and outer longitudinally spaced lugs 14 and 15 that engage, respectively, with the inner and outer shoulders 16 and 17 of the shouldered inner end of the draw bar 8. Here it is important to note that the said shoulders 14 and 15, in a horizontal direction, are curved (see particularly Figs. 3 and 5), so that the shouldered inner end of the said draw bar is loosely held between the .Same with freedom for horizontal oscildraw bar, as in either instance they would permit the lateral swinging movement without bending on square or flat bearings.

The above described draw bar and yoke, may, as is evident, be assembled and inter- Y locked by lateral motion, and also separated by lateral motion. When held in axial alinement, they are operatively intel-locked; and to hold them thus operatively alined and interlocked, I provide a coupling sleeve 18 which is preferably cast integral with the front follower 19. This coupling sleeve 18, in vertical cross section, is rectangular, and in horizontal section, is'made flaring, so as not to interfere with the lateral oscillation of the draw bar. The front followerl 19, whichalfords a back or innerwall to the coupling sleeve, is provided with upper and lower rectangular perfor-ations through which the shouldered ends ofthe yoke 12 are adapted to freely pass, leaving between the said openings, a transverse portion 20, the front face of which is rounded in a horizontal direction',"\i;asfbest shown in Fig.

l1. This rounded face offthe parts 20 of the front follower, normally engages with the inner end of the draw bar and permits free lateral oscillation of said draw bar.

In the illustrated arrangement, the rear follower 21 and two intermediate followers 22 are extended through the yoke 12 and engagev with the rear draft lug 6 to the intermediate draft lug 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The said follower 21 is also engageable with the rear end portion of the yoke 12, and the two intermediate followers 22 are engageable with the intermediate bar les 13 of said'yoke. Coiled springs 23 are interposed between the front follower 19 and the front member of the intermediate followers 22, and between the rear member of the intermediate followers 22 and the rear follower' 21. It will be understood that, so far as this invention is concerned, it is immaterial whether or not a frictional device is incorporated in the draft gear, and also whether the springs are arranged in tandem, or otherwise. All of the followers, in the construction illustrated, are arranged to slide upon guide bars 24,' which, as shown, 4are bolted to the draft lugs 5, 6 and 7 Under bumping strains, the rear end of the draw bar will be forced against the curved front face of the front follower 19 and against the lugs 14 of the yoke, thereby causing the springs 23 to be simultaneously compressed. Under draft strains, the draw even under draft strains, can never be drawn out of the coupling sleeve, and hence, the coupling sleeve is always in position to prevent lateral separation of the draw bar from the yoke. The construction described is extremely simple, of small cost, strong, durable, eliminates the use of bolts and rivets, as a means for coupling together the draw bar and yoke, and provides an arrangement in which the draw bar and yoke may be very easily coupled together or separated. y

What I claim is:

1. In a draft rigging, the combination with draft lugs, front and rear followers and coperating springs, of a yoke cooperating with said springs and followers, the said front followers having openings through which the front ends of said yoke are passed, a draw bar having at its rear end a shouldered head operative on said front follower and having interlocking engagement with the front; ends of said yoke, by lateral movement, and a coupling sleeve applied to said front follower and normally holding said draw vbar yoke against separation, and hence, operatively connected.

2. In a draft rigging, the combination with a draw bar having interlocking engagement adapting it to be `interlocked and disconnected by lateral movement, certain of the interlocking surfaces of said members being curved to permit lateral oscillation of 110 said draw bar, a coupling sleeve slidable thereon, to and from position to hold said draw bar and yoke againstlateral separation, and hence, operatively inter-locked, and a front follower to which said coupling sleeve is applied, said follower having a curved surface with which the end of said draw bar is engageable.

3. In a draft rigging, the combination with draft lugs, followers and coperating springs, of a draw bar having a shouldered head, a yoke having front and rear lugs embracing the shouldered head of said draw bar and arranged to be connected and disconnected from said draw bar by lateral movement, and a coupling sleeve on the front follower telescoped over the interlocking portions of said draw bar and yoke and holding the same against lateral difplacement, and hence, operatively inter- 13.

locked, the side walls of said coupling sloom in 'estim'ony whereof az; my signaufo having a forward Hare permitting iatsiai in presence of two witnesses.

oscillationvof said draw bar, the front and rear lugs on said yoke :md the fon fao@ of the front follower having horizoniaily rounded surfaces for facilitating the lateral oscillation of said draw bar.

Witnesses G. C. i). JANG, B. GEORGE GREY. 

